I think Pope Benedict XVI avoid a serious confrontation with the disobedient Bishops at first. He will be patient for awhile; but if they remain obstinate he is the type of man who has the will and the courage to enforce his letter with serious sanctions. I am completely certain that he knew his letter would create a firestorm of controvery with the liberals in and out of the Church, and that there would be a battle. God bless the Holy Father for his courage and conviction.
I believe you are right. He is a man of action who does not mince words. As the former Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrineof the Faith, he received thousands of letters from catholics worldwide, complaining of abuses in their local dioceses.
On God Friday this year, JPII was too incapacitated to lead the faithful in the Stations of the Cross at the Coliseum. That task fell to Cardinal Ratzinger. The mainstream media paid little heed until he reached the 9th Station - Jesus Falls for the Third Time. After reciting the Prayer, he read his meditation.
MEDITATION
What can the third fall of Jesus under the Cross say to us? We have considered the fall of man in general, and the falling of many Christians away from Christ and into a godless secularism. Should we not also think of how much Christ suffers in his own Church? How often is the holy sacrament of his Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency! What little respect we pay to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where he waits for us, ready to raise us up whenever we fall! All this is present in his Passion. His betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his Body and Blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison Lord, save us (cf. Mt 8: 25).
That one sentence garnered worldwide attention as the media rapidly spread it around the globe. How much humble pie must Cardinal Ratzinger have swallowed over the years as he approached our Lord in prayer each and every night, praying for His church. Ironically, following his election, many in the media looked at his 'advanced' years and proclaimed him an 'interim' pope. As was true with JPII, the joke is on them!
I'm not Catholic but I feel the same way.